New Build Questions & Suggestions?

[hypnosis75]

Hi, im wanting to build myself a new computer and have quite a few questions regarding compatabilty etc.

 

Mainly what processor should i go for?? Dual or Quad core??

 

Which would be better/faster for everyday internet use/basic gaming & occasional downloading.

 

Is it best to try finding a sensibly priced Processor/Motherboard bundle to make are sure they will be compatible with each other or is there an easier way to check compatability??

 

What about pc cases and power supply?? how can i make sure whatever case i buy will be suitable?

 

Thanks in advance

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, Sometimes it can be best to start off with what sort of budget you have and how much you are willing to spend, otherwise we could end up recommending something that will cost a fortune. It will be the best computer in the world, but you will be bankrupt.

 

Any idea's on prices and a fuller explanation of your needs will help. Also do you need the external stuff, keyboard, mouse, screen etc as they will take some of your cash if not using second hand that you already have.

Nev.

[hypnosis75]

Hi, realistically wanting to spend around £200 ish but i already have screen keyboard mouse dvd rw & cd rw drives.

 

Ive got a 250GB sata drive which i bought recently an installed as a slave in my current machine but could soon remove that so its even less i need to buy and i have some recently bought ddr ram.

 

Im thinking case,psu,motherboard & cpu (probably missed loads out!!)

 

I use my pc for bargain hunting mainly on amazon/ebay/gumtree as well as the occasional hour or 2 spent on champ manager or playing silly games on facebook.

 

I like the idea of building my own as it would im sure be cheaper and give me the satisfaction of knowing i have exactly what i want to install and even give me a better working knowledge of computers and maybe kick start the habit of building etc

[hypnosis75]

Just increased my budget to £300 ish now due to the sale of my old pc

[snow]

Hi hypnosis,

 

Is your entire budget for a new PC £300 now, or can you still re-use some components in it?

 

If you don't have to buy a new monitor then that will save allot, and if you already have RAM, dvd drive, and mouse/keyboard then £300 might be possible at a push.

 

If you can list what you have to re-use, including model names/brands, then I'll have a look at what is compatible, and try to suggest some hardware for you.

[hypnosis75]

Hi snow,

 

I already have 17" Hyundai L72D Monitor, Liteon Dvd Rw drive, Hitachi HDT721010SLA360 1TB HD, Corsair QUAD2X4096-6400C5DHX G 4 x 1GB Ram & a cheapy wireless keyboard & optical mouse.

 

I also have a GEFORCE 8400GS graphics card i was given, no idea of compatabilty of it tho

 

 

 

Does that help any??

[snow]

Those components should all fit in nicely with a mid-range build, including the graphics card, which is standard PCI express.

 

Here is what I'd suggest:

 

Case:

Antec 300 Three Hundred Black Case - No PSU - Ebuyer

£45.59

 

PSU:

Coolermaster 460W eXtreme Power Plus PSU - 20+4pin 4+4 ATX12v 4x SATA 6pin PCI-E - Ebuyer

£39.39

 

CPU:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz Socket 775 1333FSB 4MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor - Ebuyer

£104.98

 

Motherboard:

Asus P5KPL/EPU G31 Socket 775 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard - Ebuyer

£50.43

 

Fans (x2):

Xilence Red Wing 120mm Quiet Fan - 3&4pin connection - Ebuyer

2 x £4.98 = £9.96

 

Windows:

Now, Windows 7 comes out in Retail form on the 22nd of October, and is well worth getting. If you don't want to wait until then, the you could buy an OEM copy of Vista home premium with an upgrade voucher to Windows 7:

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium w/SP1 - W/ Windows 7 Upgrade Offer Form - licence and media - 1 PC - OEM - DVD - 64-bit - English - Ebuyer

£85.20

 

Or you could pre-order the retail version for slightly cheaper if you don't mind waiting:

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - Complete package - 1 PC - DVD - English - United Kingdom - Ebuyer

£75.00

 

All of the hardware + Windows 7 retail brings it to: £325.35

 

The motherboard has 4 RAM slots that will let you use all of your existing RAM, plus it's an Asus. The case is an Antec 300, and as I use an Antec 900 case myself, I can recommend these as great, solid cases with excellent cooling capacity.

 

Coolermaster make great, good-value power supplies, so that's an easy choice. The CPU is a fast quad-core that will eat-up almost anything you will throw at it, and ensure the computer will last for a good couple of years before it becomes obsolete.

 

This is the machine I would build with your budget and existing components. If the £25 over budget is too much you could easily slim it down by getting a cheaper case.

 

As another option, you could cut back in a few areas and look at upgrading that 17" monitor. This won't be easy on £300 though. As an example of a good screen to consider, this is one of Samsung's best deals right now:

Samsung T220 22" TFT Monitor 1680x1050 20,000:1 2ms VGA/DVI Rose Black 3 Years Warranty - Ebuyer

£129.98

[Tootech]

Ebuyer have a couple of deals using the 460W PSU and different cases that will save you money - worth a look before you decide

 

Coolermaster Elite 330 Black Case With CM eXtreme Power 460W PSU *SPECIAL OFFER* - Ebuyer

 

Coolermaster Black Elite 330 Case With eXtreme Power 460W PSU with Side Window - Ebuyer

[Dalo Harkin]

Quad chip is overkill for the occasional website and older games.

Dual core will suit your needs better and save you some cash

[hypnosis75]

Thanks for taking the time to compile that list for me snow, i have to admit tho (as sad as it might make me sound) i prefer the look of the side windowed coolermaster case that tooltech suggested, that would also trim £25 off the total cost to bring it down to the £300 nicely.

 

Is the intel processor much better than the amd equivalent as the amd ones appear to be cheaper??

 

Oh and the general idea is to buy/build the best i possibly can within (hopefully) my budget although i may yet try and find a few more spare pennies if it will make a considerable difference

[Dalo Harkin]

If you re post exactly what you are wanting the PC to do, how long you need it and if you need an OS etc including (remember if you are strapped for cash at the moment you can use windows 7 FREE until June for nowt)

 

I will give you my opinions on the components you should be using and then you can compare :)

[RandyL]

Quad or Duo that is the question.:) The other day I was looking at pre-built computers and it seems the major brands and outlets are pushing quad. Is there a reason for this in the future? I don't know. What is the price difference? Is it better to save pennies now to spend dollars later? Tough questions since no one knows the future of computers or can anticipate their own future needs.

 

Also I thought that Windows 7 Release Candidate downloads for testing has now been discontinued since it is due to be released Oct 22. Either way it's a short term fix.

 

You have some good choices to choose from from our fine members. I know it's a tough choice. Let them know if you have any more questions.

[snow]

No problem Hypnosis,

 

I think that if you want the computer to perform well for more than 3 years, investing in a quad-core is worth it. Programs are increasingly using multiple threads, and while right now there may be less demand for 4 cores, their uptake will only increase as time goes on in the fast-moving world of computing.

 

The PC I listed should last you at least 5 years. This is the usual expected life-time of systems, but if your use is reletively light (no high end gaming) then getting several more years after that should be possible.

 

Tootech is spot-on with those case deals; you can ignore my suggestions there ;)

 

In the end it's up to you, and how much money you are willing to spend. Here is the equivalent dual-core in that range:

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 2.8GHz Socket 775 1066MHz FSB 3MB L2 Cache Retail Boxed Processor - Ebuyer

£85.56

 

Of course, these cores are clocked a bit faster (0.47 Ghz), so a program that only makes use of one or two threads will be faster on the dual core, but from your description of what you want the PC to do, I don't think this is a problem. I think £19.42 for two more cores is worth it.

 

Future-proofing is important unless you plan to upgrade regularly. Having extra CPU power is never a bad thing. You'd be suprised at how many common tasks soak up CPU use (unzipping files, playing a flash game, virus-scanning, etc). Two more cores to spread out that load will help keep the computer responsive and fast during such operations.

 

To answer about AMD: At the price bracket we are looking at, Intel performs better for the same money:

 

AMD Phenom II X3 720: (£104.22)

AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 6MB L3 Cache Black Edition Retail Boxed Processor - Ebuyer

PassMark CPU Lookup

 

Intel Core2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33GHz: (£104.98)

(Frome above)

PassMark CPU Lookup

 

I hope this helps you out.